Piano-action rail.



W. B. ALLEN.

PIANO ACTION RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s, 1908.

1,068,398. r Patented July 22,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. B. ALLEN.

PIANO ACTION RAIL.

APPLICATION IILED JULY s, 1908.

1,068,398, Patented July 22, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT @FFIQE.

WAYNE B. ALLEN, OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI.

PIANO-ACTION RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1913.

Application filed July 6, 1908. Serial No. 441,985.

ToaZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, INAYNE B. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Columbia, Boone county, Missouri, have invented certain new and. useful Im )rovements in Piano-Action Rails, of which the following is a description.

In piano actions various movable parts are secured to the main action rail for support and the different parts having but limited space in which to operate. It is important therefore that they should be secured to the rail firmly and securely. To secure the best results it is also importantthat the various cooperating parts after having been once carefully adjusted, should maintain that relative adjustment between them. I-leretofore it has been the usual practice to construct the main or action rail of wood or equivalent material. lVhen the instrument is subjected to a damp atmosphere the wood is subject to a considerable degree of swelling, shrinking, warping, twisting or sagging, in either case altering or changing the relative adjustment of the cooperating movable parts. Such alteration of the adjustment afiects the tone and operation of the instrument. Frequently the cause is not understood and even when understood is impossible of correction without the services of an expert in this line of work and at a comparatively high cost for the work accomplished.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of the main or action rails of a piano to prevent the objectionable results referred to and the improvement may also be extended to the bottom rail if desired.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the preferred form of my improved main or action rail with the cooperating parts attached thereto, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the metallic part of the main or action rail, showing the preferred form of construction thereof, Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the same, Figs. 4, 5, (3, 7, and 8 show modified forms of the same and Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show the form of flange or clip adapted for use with the preferred form of rail shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

As illustrated in the drawings 1 is the base or main portion of the main or action rail of a piano which is suitably secured in place in the usual or in any preferred manner. This base is formed of a material in which the expansion and contraction is comparatively slight as compared with the adjustment of the parts attached thereto and in which the liability of warping, twisting or sagging is slight. As shown this is of any suitable form of material for the purpose constructed in the desired form for the use described. It extends horizontally lengthwise the piano and the various parts of the action are secured thereto. It is important that when the various parts are secured to said rail and adjusted thereon that they shall be firmly and securely maintained in proper alinement with one another as they operate in comparatively limited spaces.

In the preferred form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 the rail 1 is of metal and somewhat of a Z-shape in cross section with provision at the proper points for the attachment of the other parts. As shown in said preferred construction suitable screw-holes 2 are formed at the proper point for the attachment of the proper flange which is preferably seated directly on the metal rail for a purpose hereinafter set forth, those shown at the top being intended for the attachment of the damper flange, the upper row on the side for the butt flange and the lower ones on the side for the whip flange. Near each of these is a suitable groove 8 or an equivalent part extending parallel to the rows of holes 2 and intended for the seating of an extension on the end of the proximate flange to more firmly secure the parts together and to prevent the accidental movement of the flange on its bolt or screw as a center. 4 (Fig. 9) is a damper flange provided with a toe part 5 bent at an angle thereto and adapted to be seated in the groove 8 for the purpose described. 6 (Fig. 10) is a flange which may be used for either the butt flange or the whip flange provided with a similar extension 7 for the purpose described. In the preferred construction I use auxiliary bars or rails S and 9 in connection with the rail 1, which are preferably of wood or equivalent material for the purpose of cooperating with the said rail in properly assembling, adjusting and securing the parts, as

well as in adding rigidity to the rail 1 and also tending to prevent any marked change in the tone which might be caused by the change of material in the rail. As shown, in Fig. 1 the flange 1 is secured in position directly upon the rail 1, with its toe 5 posi tioned in the slot 3, a bolt or screw 10 extending through the flange and into the wooden bar 8. In like manner the butt flange is secured in position by the bolt or screw 11 while the whip flange is similarly secured by the bolt or screw 12 extending through the rail 1 and into the bar 9. By using metal or equivalent flanges, and seating them directly upon the rail 1, the parts are firmly maintained in proper position and alinement. When metal, or its equivalent for the purpose, is seated directly upon the rail 1, the difliculty sometimes met with when wood or metal is seated upon wood caused by the embedding of the flanges into the softer wood at some point or points, causing a canting of the flange, is entirely obviated. This is very important in con structions of this kind where each part must move in its own limited space. The bars 8 and 9 may be independently secured to the bar 1 by any suitable means before the rail is placed in position on the piano. The parts having been thus adjusted and secured to the rail, their operation is in the usual well known manner, and the rail 1 being of a material having comparatively little expansion or contraction for purposes of this kind not liable to warp, twist or sag the atmospheric conditions do not affect the relative adjustment or operation of the parts and consequently the operation and tone of the instrument. 13 is the bottom rail also of metal or similar material and for the purpose of aiding in securing the parts together and of stiffening the same when it is of light material, wooden bars 14 and 15 may be employed as before described. 16 is the tongue flange which is secured to the rail 13 by means of a bolt or screw 17 eX- tending through said rail and into the bar 14:.

Fig. 4- illustrates a form of the bar or rail 1 in which the bolt or screw holes 2 are replaced by a continuing slot 17 for the purpose of permitting the adjustment of the bolts or screws securing the flanges in place thereon.

Fig. is the top plan of the form shown in Fig. 1.

F 6 shows still another form in which the position for the attachment of the flange is fixed permitting a slight adjustment thereon and instead of continuing the slot 3 for the toe of the flanges an individual slot 18 is provided for each flange and the bolt hole 19 is cut into the same in stamping out the parts. This form adds greater strength to the rail 1 as it does not cut away so much of the material. On the other hand it limits the means for adjust-- ment of the flanges thereon as before pointed out.

Fig. 7 is a top plan of the rail shown in Fig. (3.

As before mentioned the object of the slots or depression 3 as well as of the slot 18 and the cooperating extending toes 5 and 7 of the flanges is for the purpose of so interlocking the parts as to keep them in proper alinement, and preventing the accidental movement of the flanges on the bolt a center. Obviously this may be modified and similar objects secured by forming a projection or rib on the rail and a corresponding depression on the flange. Fig. 8 shows a sectional view of a rail 1 which is preferably provided with parallel ribs or projec tions 20 adapted to cooperate-with suitable depressions formed in the flanges for that purpose, the flanges being secured to the rail in the manner heretofore described or by equivalent means. As shown the bolt holes or slot 22 located between the ribs is provided for this purpose. These beads or projections 20 preferably extend longitudinally of the rail 1 similarly to the depressions 3 shown in Figs. 1 to Fig. 11 illustrates a flange similar to the flange shown in Fig. 6 in which a flange 22 has the bolt holes 23 cut out to form a slot, there being some advantages in the manufacture of this form of flange and the operation being substantially the same as before de scribed.

It will be understood that where in the claims I refer to the rail 1 as being a nonshrinkable and non-eXpansible material that the terms are used only in the comparative sense and includes also a material not liable to warp, twist or sag under atmospheric conditions. That is to say that the degree of expansion and contraction is so slight and that the liability to warp, twist or sag so remote that for the purposes of this invention they will not materially aflect the operation of the cooperating parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail for pianos comprising a metallic rail, a wooden reinforcing bar connected thereto, said metallic rail being provided with exposed portions forming independent damper, butt and whip flange seats, in combination with metallic damper, butt and whip flanges fashioned to directly engage said seats, means for securing the flanges in position, and cooperating interengaging means for retaining the flanges in proper alinement upon the rail.

2. A rail for piano actions comprising a rail of substantially non-expansible, nonshrinkable material of suitable form reinforced by one or more bars of suitable material, said rail of non-eXpansible material being provided with exposed portions constituting seats for the reception of a plurality of sets of flanges, flanges seated directly upon said seats, and securing screws passing through the flanges and the rail and engaging one of said reinforcing bars.

3. A piano action rail, comprising a rail of substantially non-expansible, non-shrinkable material of suitable form, reinforced on each side by a bar, in combination with butt and whip flanges fashioned to seat upon the rail of non-expansible material, and securing means passing through the flanges and rail of non-expansible material and engaging the said reinforcing bars.

4:. A piano action rail comprising a metallic bar of suitable form reinforced on each side by a bar of suitable material, in combination with flanges formed to seat upon the metallic bar, and securing means extending through the flanges and metallic bar and engaging one of said reinforcing bars.

5. A piano action rail comprising a metallie bar of suitable form reinforced on each side with a wooden bar, in combination with a series of flanges formed to seat upon the metallic bar, cooperating interengaging means for the flanges and metallic bar, comprising a projection on one part, and the other of said parts being provided with a portion fashioned to receive said projection, and securing means extending through the flanges and metallic bar and engaging one of said wooden bars.

6. A flange rail for piano actions comprising wooden bars having positioned therebetween a metallic rail, said rail being provided with exposed portions fashioned to constitute seats for the reception of a set of flanges.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WAYNE B. ALLEN.

Witnesses JOHN WV. HILL, CHARLES I. COBB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

